Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and scattered localities in East Africa, Seychelles, India, Sri Lanka, the Indo-Malayan region, and Hong Kong; south to Australia; east to Fiji.

Randall, J.E., T.H. Fraser and E.A. Lachner, 1990. On the validity of the Indo-Pacific cardinalfishes Apogon aureus (Lacepède) and A. fleurieu (Lacepède), with description of a related new species from the Red Sea. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 103(1):39-62. (Ref. 2142)